A new online map demonstrates the local economic impact of cuts in federal research funding. One of the map’s creators says more than $100M and 500 jobs have been eliminated from Pennsylvania's economy since the Trump administration canceled hundreds of research projects that were funded by the National Institutes of Health. 

State lawmakers are considering legislation that would require home sellers in Pennsylvania to disclose flood risk to potential buyers, with the goal of encouraging more people to get flood insurance. 

The UPMC health system is coming under federal scrutiny over services it provides to transgender men and women. 

Many Pennsylvania communities are losing access to pharmacies. Hundreds of pharmacies across the state have gone out of business, and their numbers are diminishing with the ongoing Rite Aid bankruptcy closures, according to data obtained by our partners at Spotlight PA. 

Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services is bringing thousands of employees back to Harrisburg in a reevaluation of post-pandemic workforce balances. 

And Observe the 93rd stops by WITF for a session with WITF Music's Joe Ulrich. And to see their performances, check out this link to our YouTube page.

As you may have heard, federal funding for public media has been rescinded. Your monthly gift to WITF can help fill the gap as we navigate this new reality. Become a monthly sustaining member today at witf.org/givenow. And thank you. 

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State and local leaders in Pennsylvania are brainstorming ways to preserve rural health care. That's why they recently held a summit at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, where there is now a seven-county maternity care desert. 

There's a nationwide shortage of young people pursuing careers as Certified Public Accountants. And state lawmakers are looking to address that talent gap.

Construction is underway on a massive new addition to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. 

Over the past year, homelessness in York County increased by 17 percent. That's according to the Point in Time Count, a federally-required count.

Reading City Council is decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. By a 5-to-2 vote, Reading City Council voted Monday to impose civil fines, rather than criminal charges, on people in possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana. 

The Hanover Borough Police Department will be closed on Thursday and Friday (July 31 and Aug 1) in connection with renovations for a new downtown public safety building. 

And a deeper dive on Pennsylvania's solar industry: It was shining bright, with rapid growth and new domestic manufacturing to supply the industry’s needs. That abruptly changed in early July, when the Republican-controlled Congress approved the massive tax cut and spending bill. 

 

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Two Lancaster County residents joined a group of American activists in visiting the Israeli-occupied West Bank last month. The group was forced to cut their two-week trip short. 

A Western Pennsylvania gas company is facing criminal charges for a massive natural gas leak at a gas storage field. The plume of gas drifted across Pennsylvania, all the way to Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean. 

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania recently voted to form a union and will soon negotiate a contract. They're looking to secure more job protections and better salaries among other things. 

We are in the grips of a heat wave. A heat advisory continues through 8 pm Wednesday, across all of Central Pennsylvania and much of the state. 

The Pennsylvania Game Commission voted unanimously Monday to open up 10 Sundays for hunting late this summer into fall. The 10 Sundays begin on September 14 and stretch through December 7. 

Employees at Lancaster County's Red Rose Transit Authority are working under a contract that expired in May, and their next steps are taking many twists and turns. 

Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently released its Outdoor Recreation Plan, which outlines the state's goals for expanding outdoor recreation over the next five years. The comprehensive plan - called Outdoor Places, Shared Spaces - includes 14 goals and 55 action steps. 

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A recent study from scientists at the University of Pennsylvania finds there's a better alternative to throwing out your old leftovers or apple cores. Researchers crunched data from over 90 studies around the world to estimate the climate impacts of different ways to dispose of food waste.

York's Habitat for Humanity recently reached a milestone.  

Transportation is a key issue holding up Pennsylvania's budget, which has dragged on past the June 30 deadline. 

A Texas-based genetic testing company is opening a new patient service center in Cumberland County. The company - Natera Incorporated - will be located along Walnut Bottom Road in Carlisle. 

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is breaking ground this morning (Tuesday) on a new roundhouse. The Strasburg, Lancaster County museum is constructing the 16-thousand-square-foot roundhouse in order to protect and display six historic steam locomotives.

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Electricity bills in Pennsylvania and neighboring states are likely to rise once again next year. A narrowing gap between supply and demand is driving up prices. 

The massive Republican-backed spending bill signed by President Trump on July 4 makes major changes to the SNAP program, also known as food stamps. Because of those changes, Pennsylvania could soon have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs currently covered by the federal government. 

The state budget is nearly four weeks late, and nonprofits and schools say they may soon have to make difficult budget decisions of their own. State Senator Lindsey Williams says rape crisis centers are especially concerned about their funding.  

And we continue our series of "deep dives" into preparations at regional tourism bureaus for America250. The celebrations in York County have deep connections to our Revolutionary Era history, says Andrea Ryan of Explore York.

And to hear additional conversations in this series, check out these previous podcast episodes:

July 21: Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau, where they're leaning into their Revolutionary Era ties

July 14: Discover Lancaster's events kick off early - this summer, extending through next year's 250th

July 7: Destination Gettysburg is on their way to creating 250 events for America250

June 30: Visit Hershey & Harrisburg expects a big bump in tourism including financially

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Pennsylvania and more a dozen other states suing the Trump administration over its decision to cancel a grant program meant to help communities prepare for disasters. The Keystone State's flood prevention projects are at risk. 

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is reporting record tax revenue from the games it regulates in the Commonwealth. Gaming revenue has been growing significantly since the 2021 fiscal year.

We're learning more about a story we first told you about yesterday. The lead singer for a rock band and the Luzerne County manager are speaking out about the county’s decision to cut the band from a popular free concert series set for this weekend.  

The Lancaster County Commissioners are unanimously supporting a grant application requesting millions of dollars in federal funding for the reconstruction of the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge, also called the Veterans Memorial Bridge. The grant requests more than $100 million dollars in funding for the bridge, which carries Route 462 over the Susquehanna River. 

Scaffolding is now covering the outside of the York County Administrative Center in downtown York. t's part of a multi-phased renovation and preservation project at the 127-year-old building. 

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A surprise beneficiary in President Trump’s budget mega bill is a type of coal used to make steel. Companies that mine metallurgical coal are now in line to receive a 2.5% tax credit thanks to the bill.  

Controversy has erupted after a Northeastern Pennsylvania county is cut a band from a popular concert series. The move appears to be connected to concerns over the band's lyrics and statements by the lead singer.  

A Lancaster County constable who was recently convicted of co-opting police powers will soon be able to carry out immigration arrests. 

The Carlisle School Board is set to vote on whether to ban high school students from using cellphones.

A Berks County official is lodging a complaint with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission after a string of unexplained power outages. 

And a deep dive by WITF's Jordan Wilkie: Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro says legislation that would prevent transgender girls and women from playing on publicly funded sports teams is backed by extremist politicians. 

 

 

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Pennsylvania health officials have temporarily added nitazenes, a synthetic opioid, to the list of controlled substances in the Commonwealth.  

Temple University's School of Dentistry is launching a rural dentistry track. A new campus will be located in Schuylkill County, and the goal of the new program is to encourage new dentists to practice in underserved areas of Pennsylvania. 

The State Department of Labor and Industry reports a slight increase in unemployment in June.  

Harrisburg's so-called "tent city" could be headed to a new location. Residents of the encampment say they were given flyers, promoting the ability to register for one of 50 to 60 encampment sites on a South 9th Street property, just off Cameron Street. The nonprofit Amiracle4sure recently obtained the land. They say they'll be releasing more details soon, in conjunction with county officials. 

An 82-year old Pennsylvania man was secretly deported to Guatemala after he attempted to replace his green card, which had been lost, according to his family. 

The 10th annual Schuylkill County Brew Fest is set for this Saturday (July 26) in Pottsville. 

 

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About 18 percent of private wells in Pennsylvania are contaminated with toxic "forever chemicals" known as PFAS. That’s according to a new study from Penn State. 

After finding mosquitoes that have tested positive for West Nile Virus and Jamestown Canyon Virus, Cumberland County is spraying for the insects in various parts of the county.  

Penn State plans to buy the former fraternity house where a hazing incident led to the death of Timothy Piazza in 2017. 

It's now been three full weeks without a state budget. State Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin, a Lancaster Republican, tells reporters he feels good about where the closed-door conversations are going. And Governor Josh Shapiro says he feels optimistic about negotiations. However, according to reporting by our partners at Spotlight PA, two Capitol sources are less confident. 

The pilot of a single-engine plane is dead after crashing shortly after takeoff from Lancaster Airport Sunday morning. He's been identified as 58-year old Musaddiq Nazeeri of Lebanon. 

You may see low-flying aircraft in parts of Lancaster County on Tuesday. It’s part of a join exercise between the Pennsylvania State Police and Manheim Borough Police. 

The Dauphin County Department of Public Safety is trying to figure out what caused a 911 outage Saturday morning. 

Country music star Shania Twain is making a tour stop in Hershey this Saturday, and ahead of her visit, her foundation is making a donation to the Hershey Food Bank. 

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We’re learning more about the deeper implications of Congress’s decision late last week to roll back billions of dollars of funding already approved for public broadcasting and foreign aid. We hear from a humanitarian aid worker from the State College region and learn what could come next for foreign aid work. 

Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities are planning to raise tuition for the first time in eight years. The schools are taking this action as a precaution while state and federal funding is uncertain. 

Now that this year’s July 4th celebrations have wrapped up, the focus shifts to next year, and the nation's 250th birthday. We meet Cassandra Coleman, who runs America250PA. 

We continue taking "deep dives" throughout the month of July as Central PA tourism organizations prepare for America250. Today, we check in with Stacey Cornman with the Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau. (ICYMI, check our Morning Agenda archives for conversations with tourism leaders in Lancaster County, Visit Hershey & Harrisburg, and Destination Gettysburg.)

 

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